From what I understand, there really is no way of knowing when Rolex will send the watches out anyways, special order or not. It just comes when it comes.

When I would go to my favorite Rolex AD to check out a watch and it isn't in-store, a new associate (who doesn't usually know me) always tells me that they can order it and it will arrive within a week or two. I hear associates tell other customers this too. But when the general manager comes out and I speak to him, he usually clears it up and that just like Rolex price increases, there really is just not way to guarantee a watches arrival. It just gets there when it gets there. They can order it to make sure one eventually arrives in the store but it's a crap shoot on when it will actually arrive.

This is also why people on the list for a Daytona just gets a call randomly when one just happens to arrive at the store, no one knows when and what watches will arrive. The general manager admits that it is pretty damn fun opening up Rolex packages as they really do not know what they are getting.

Nah, I'll blame Longines for that, I remember seeing a vid of the ceo or new owner that he had to be convinced to remove the date on some of the heritage line. He said he will do it for the first run and that was that and I think most of those sold well. They just had to stick to their guns and just copy the original and they have done that well minus the date.

They could also offer both with and without date like they did with the Legend Diver and the no date version sold pretty well.

I'm not saying that it wasn't their decision to make. I'm saying that they are in the business of selling watches and there is strong market demand for a date feature on contemporary watches of all types, particularly sporting models. That is what motivated the near immediate adoption of the date feature on the Longines Legend Diver. I prefer the dateless model myself, but I don't assume that I know better than Longines which version would sell better, or the bottom line business case for selling both versions simultaneously.

You can single out Longines if you like, but manufacturers across the board are simply feeding market demand for the date function, and it has nothing at all to do with anyone failing to "stick to their guns".

Right, ho and thanks for the good thoughts. Have a Fluco shell strap on an old Hamilton Viewmaster and love it, so maybe the Horween strap on the Metro will be ok. It may grow on me ... Really looking forward to the arrival of the Metro, but as it's back-ordered, it may be awhile before I can share a picture.

For me they have had some homeruns in their heritage series. I tried both the Greenlander and the Arctic Explorer reissue when I was in Switzerland but I just couldn't make up my mind which one I wanted the most. Now I can't find them anywhere.

For me they have had some homeruns in their heritage series. I tried both the Greenlander and the Arctic Explorer reissue when I was in Switzerland but I just couldn't make up my mind which one I wanted the most. Now I can't find them anywhere.

Well the topic is on Longines so of course I'll single them out. It's specific to their heritage line that was posted which I feel is ruined by the date.

No one said Longines is the only on doing it.

If someone posts a ruined JLC because of the a date on it then I'll bash those too.

And I do think it is stupid, I get that they want to sell but at the expense of ruining a classic? No thanks. At least offer both to satiate and cover both markets. Rolex does it with the Sub successfully, the Legend Diver sold well and the no date are practically sold out (granted it was probably produced in smaller numbers).

From what I understand, there really is no way of knowing when Rolex will send the watches out anyways, special order or not. It just comes when it comes.

When I would go to my favorite Rolex AD to check out a watch and it isn't in-store, a new associate (who doesn't usually know me) always tells me that they can order it and it will arrive within a week or two. I hear associates tell other customers this too. But when the general manager comes out and I speak to him, he usually clears it up and that just like Rolex price increases, there really is just not way to guarantee a watches arrival. It just gets there when it gets there. They can order it to make sure one eventually arrives in the store but it's a crap shoot on when it will actually arrive.

This is also why people on the list for a Daytona just gets a call randomly when one just happens to arrive at the store, no one knows when and what watches will arrive. The general manager admits that it is pretty damn fun opening up Rolex packages as they really do not know what they are getting.

I believe Rolex is the only brand that is very secretive like that.

Thanks for the info, I think . . . LOL I certainly believe that's the case for models that are in high demand. To be fair, he initially told me that it typically takes 10 days to 2 weeks to get this particular model, which has been available for 6 years now and not a big mover (another AD here in town has had one in the case for at least 6 months). And the AD has talked to RUSA twice about the specific order--the first time he was told it should go out in the next couple of days, and the second time he was told it had gone out and was given an ETA. He's very active in the watch community (goes to Basel every year, etc.), so maybe he has some friends up there that go beyond the normal protocol for him. Who knows. But he has no interest in misleading me about the process or timing. He's not making much money on it and he has to see me every day as my next door neighbor. He has actually been overly apologetic about the delay, which I appreciate especially since I know he cannot influence the process at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dino944

I'm beginning to wonder in the watch arrived already, your AD started wearing it, and wants to spend another week wearing it before passing it on to you . J/K.
Hopefully, it will be sharing some wrist shots with us very soon!

Well, if tha'ts the case he better be rocking it like our friend here, Deejmb (with the plastic protective stickers still on)!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tifosi

Haha! I think the gold would show scratches too easily....

You know, to pass the time I've been looking at a lot of pictures of the watch. When I recently searched, pics came up of both Roger Federer and Jay-Z wearing it. I guess I made the right selection since my two main hobbies are tennis and big pimpin'!!

^^^ Like I said, feel free. My point is that this is an industry-wide market-driven phenomenon - not something in any way unique to Longines.

But just to clarify, Longines didn't really offer two models of the Legend Diver similtaneously. Production of the non-date version was discontinued after the first year. It was replaced by the date version. Of course, stock remained of the no-date version for some time (which should tell you something) so both were technically available over a period of time, but they were not in simultaneous production. The dateless was abandoned in favor of the date.

PS - Imyouricecreamman- I had a Greenlander reissue and let it go. I also found a NIB Silver Arrow locally and dithered too long until it sold to somene else. I am teh stoopid.

Thanks for the info, I think . . . LOL I certainly believe that's the case for models that are in high demand. To be fair, he initially told me that it typically takes 10 days to 2 weeks to get this particular model, which has been available for 6 years now and not a big mover (another AD here in town has had one in the case for at least 6 months). And the AD has talked to RUSA twice about the specific order--the first time he was told it should go out in the next couple of days, and the second time he was told it had gone out and was given an ETA. He's very active in the watch community (goes to Basel every year, etc.), so maybe he has some friends up there that go beyond the normal protocol for him. Who knows. But he has no interest in misleading me about the process or timing. He's not making much money on it and he has to see me every day as my next door neighbor. He has actually been overly apologetic about the delay, which I appreciate especially since I know he cannot influence the process at all.

Just sharing my experience. I actually asked just for the simple blue OP that one other AD didn't have and they said they can order but not sure when it would arrive. Could be a week or a 2-3 months. 3 other ADs has the same watch so I don't think unpredictability of Rolex arrival is exclusive to in demand watches only.

How long ago was it shipped? It does seem weird that it kind of just floats around in a postal wormhole not knowing where and when it would arrive if they know when it was shipped.

^^^ Like I said, feel free... not something in any way unique to Longines.

You are just saying the same thing you've already said before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerP

My point is that this is an industry-wide market-driven phenomenon - not something in any way unique to Longines.

It really isn't even a phenomenon, being active in a handful of watch forums tells me the date is very important to plenty. In a day and age of smartphones that has practically made watches irrelevant, many just use the watch for quick glances at times and dates. But it doesn't change the fact that I don't like it as an update on remade classics and I feel it ruins it.

So yeah I will blame Longines for such a decision to ruin a classic in exchange for sales.

Just sharing my experience. I actually asked just for the simple blue OP that one other AD didn't have and they said they can order but not sure when it would arrive. Could be a week or a 2-3 months. 3 other ADs has the same watch so I don't think unpredictability of Rolex arrival is exclusive to in demand watches only.

How long ago was it shipped? It does seem weird that it kind of just floats around in a postal wormhole not knowing where and when it would arrive if they know when it was shipped.

Not trying to make you nervous or anything, just curious.

Thanks. I really hope this is not the case with my watch but I do appreciate the info in any event! There's actually not a whole lot of discussion on this process in any of the watch forums.

It was shipped sometime between 10/28 and 10/31. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't done some independent research on this, but apparently, while registered mail is the most secure method of shipping high-dollar items (under lock and key and signed for at every point of transfer), it does not have any tracking mechanism.

It really isn't even a phenomenon, being active in a handful of watch forums tells me the date is very important to plenty. In a day and age of smartphones that has practically made watches irrelevant, many just use the watch for quick glances at times and dates. But it doesn't change the fact that I don't like it as an update on remade classics and I feel it ruins it.

So yeah I will blame Longines for such a decision to ruin a classic in exchange for sales.